Review of Bridesmaids (2011) by Stuart K — 16 Apr 2013

Directed by Paul Feig (Unaccompanied Minors (2006)) and produced by Judd Apatow, the latter wanted to give Saturday Night Live comedienne Kristen Wiig the chance to write her own film, after an amusing cameo in Apatow's own Knocked Up (2007).

Wiig with writing partner Annie Mumolo, worked on a script that showed the pains and stresses of weddings and their preperations, but it has some good gags and some very good performances. Annie Walker (Wiig) is in her mid-30's, and her career is going nowhere, but she's asked by childhood best friend Lillian Donovan (Maya Rudolph) to be her maid of honor at her upcoming wedding, Annie agrees and is hoping it'll be brilliant, but then she meets the other bridesmaids that Lillian has selected, there's Lillian's scornful cousin Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), Lillian's friend Becca (Ellie Kemper), the very raunchy Megan (Melissa McCarthy), and Helen Harris III (Rose Byrne).

Instantly, there's clashes over what they want, and disaster ensues from a food poisoning outbreak to a riot on a plan to Las Vegas. It starts off slow, but it slowly builds up, snowballing into comedy showcasing the forces of nature going on, and it's got some good jokes along with way with rivalry and bitchiness with how to do the wedding, and it has good appearances from Chris O'Dowd, Jon Hamm, Rebel Wilson and Matt Lucas.